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God Will Provide
Himself a Lamb |
Lesson
9
Summary |
| Abraham; Abraham seeks the blessings of the patriarchal order—He is persecuted by false priests in Chaldea—Jehovah saves him—Origins and government of
Egypt reviewed. Genesis 15; Abram desires offspring—The Lord promises him seed in number as the stars—He believes the promise—His seed shall be strangers in
Egypt—Then, after four generations, they shall inherit Canaan.
Genesis 16; Sarai gives Hagar to Abram as his wife—Hagar flees from Sarai—An angel commands Hagar to return and submit herself to Sarai—Hagar bears Ishmael.
Genesis 17; Abram commanded to be perfect—He shall be a father of many nations—His name changed to Abraham—The Lord covenants to be a God unto Abraham and his seed for ever—Also, to give him
the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession—Circumcision becomes token of everlasting covenant between God and Abraham—Sarai’s name changed to Sarah—She shall bear Isaac, with whom the Lord
will establish his covenant—Abraham and his house circumcised.
Genesis 21; Sarah bears Isaac—He is circumcised—Promises to Abraham preserved through Isaac—Hagar and her son cast out of Abraham’s household—The Lord saves
Hagar and Ishmael—Abraham and Abimelech deal honorably with each other.
Genesis 22; Abraham commanded to sacrifice Isaac, his son—Both father and son yield to the will of God—Abraham’s seed shall be as the stars and the sand in number—In his seed all nations shall
be blessed—Rebekah is born to Bethuel. |
Supplemental
Holy Land
and Jewish
insights: |
Promise Kept: Isaac was a miracle child, born of Sarah who was ninety-years old and barren. When she became pregnant, even in ancient parameters, one could ask, "what did
the neighbors say?" The name Isaac in Hebrew means laughter, humor, amusing or delightful. Abraham and Sarah were delighted. A human impossibility became a God-given fulfillment. In the Lord’s own
plan, he kept his promises! |
A Chosen Birth Date for Isaac: "According to the aggadah, Isaac was born to Sarah on the first day of Passover,"
(Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
The Savior’s Birth Date: According to revelation, the Savior was born on the same day as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, April 6, 1830. Using
the biblical and Jewish calendar, that day was the first day of Passover that year. That means that the Son of God was born to Mary on the first day of Passover.
Spared From Human Sacrifice: Abraham, who was saved from a pagan human sacrifice in the Ur of Chaldees was later instructed by the Lord to sacrifice his firstborn son of
Sarah. Later we see that Isaac was saved from human sacrifice as well. Those two men experienced a profound way of being taught about the planned atonement. The firstborn Son of God, however,
would actually be the one to be sacrificed.
Purpose of Sacrifice: "The Hebrew term for sacrifice, korban , is from a root meaning "to draw near," and
originally denoted that which was brought near, or offered, to God. It is also possible that the term signified "that which brings man near to God" and, indeed, a late aggadic source interprets
sacrifices in this sense." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
The Meaning of a Place: The place where Abraham was commanded to bring Isaac was Mount Moriah. In Hebrew, ‘moreh’ refers to teacher and ‘Yah’ is the shortened version of the
sacred name of the Lord, Jehovah. The sacrifice of Isaac was an experience being "taught of the Lord." It was part of the profound teaching moment about the Lord, the firstborn son, the Lamb of
God, who would be offered at the same mount.
"Lamb," One of the Lord’s Names: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
(John 1:29) "And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father . . ."
(1 Nephi 11:21)
Specific Place of the Sacrifice: In ancient times, sacrifices always happened at the north end of the altar. This is mentioned in the Bible. "And he shall kill it on the side
of the altar northward before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar." (Leviticus 1:11)
The Value of Symbolism: The place of crucifixion was at the north end of Mount Moriah, north of the altar. Additional symbolism can be found by comparing the rabbinic
tradition that Isaac was in his early thirties when Abraham brought him to Mount Moriah. Jesus sacrificed himself on the same mount, north of the altar and on the eve of his thirty-fourth
birthday, (the first day of Passover that year).
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